DPP plans night market campaign

By Lee Hsin-fang
and Jason Pan / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Thu, Aug 22, 2013 - Page 3

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is planning to work with young people and student activists in the latest round of its “nuclear-free homeland” campaign by heading to night markets for direct dialogue with people.

DPP Department of Youth Development deputy director Chou Yu-hsiu (周榆修) said the “Go Visit Night Markets, Fight Against Nuclear Power Plant No. 4” campaign is to commence in the middle of next month and DPP Chairperson Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) will join the effort.

Chou said the campaign will make stops at the Shilin Night Market in Taipei, the new Jinzuan Night Market and Kaisyuan Night Market in Greater Kaohsiung, among others.

The DPP expects the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to initiate motions for a vote on the referendum proposal on whether to terminate the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s (新北市) Gongliao District (貢寮) when the legislative session resumes next month.

Should the referendum proposal pass the legislature, DPP officials said the party would promote its “nuclear-free homeland” concept more actively.

“This time, the DPP will take the anti-nuclear message to the masses, interacting with the public in more lively ways than we’ve done before,” Chou said.

He said that the DPP plans to mobilize for the effort by recruiting volunteers from school campuses and calling up graduates from the party’s “18 Youth Bronze Warriors” management trainee program.

The DPP’s student and youth corps will be called into action during the weekend evenings, working the crowds at the major night markets around the nation to publicize anti-nuclear energy messages.

“This is a big change from before. In the past, we would organize events and invite crowds to join us. Now, the DPP is teaming up with youths and together we will go and talk to the crowds,” Chou said.

He added that the plan is to promote and enhance the anti-nuclear message by distributing pamphlets at night markets, along with the use of loud speaker-mounted campaign trucks.